


the last

by viotaq



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Brunnhilde | Valkyrie (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-03-06 11:45:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18850420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/viotaq/pseuds/viotaq
Summary: Loki’s eyes go truly cold in a way she has never seen before, let alone directed at her, and she knows, she knows he sees so clearly and it’s always the deftest, cruelest, clearest cuts that hurt the most.His lips curl.“You’ve done it before,” he hisses.---or the last time she sees him.





	the last

‘...Asgardian refugees…’

She is in her room when she hears the alarm go, fresh out of washing up after a training session with some of the youth, feels a shiver run straight down her spine.

It takes her a moment to realize just what it is that drags cold fingers across the back of her neck, raises her hackles, makes her heart fucking beat in her ears.

She’s heard the Odinsons angry, she’s borne their frustration, felt their disappointment, watched them grieve, been beside them in their moments of helplessness but never, never, never has she felt pure terror in either of their voices.

Then the voice changes abruptly to another she only vaguely recognizes and she grabs her uniform, the dirk that is the closest she has to her Dragonfang and rushes out straight into the crowd.

* * *

Arms grab her shoulders as she bursts into the throne room.

“You have to go,” Loki says, “you have to take the people and leave now. This is not an enemy we can fight.”

She looks past him to Thor, then beyond to the gargantuan spacecraft that looms in the background.

Thor’s face is fixed in resignation. She waits.

“It is the Mad Titan,” Heimdall’s voice comes.

“Then we are all doomed and there is no point in running,” she hears herself, feels the bile raise in the back of her throat, feels her heart fall to her feet. She’s seen the remnants fall to Sakaar, she’s been there, she knows what he does and they’ve just, just, just managed to leave with what few there are left, this cannot be happening to them, not here, not now that they have already lost so much.

“No,” Loki says, “It is different. He’s not looking to kill all of us.”

“And what would you know about that?” She spits at him with the venom of ten destroyed planets.

His face twists in a way she recognizes. She takes a step back.

“Oh,” she says, “well, fuck.”

Loki laughs, cold and dry.

“You need to go,” Thor says, “you need to go now.”

“Well that’s ridiculous, I’m the second, well, maybe third, best fighter on this ship. Heimdall should go.”

“Heimdall can see.”

“I can also see shit that’s happening in the room, dumbass, and if he’s coming for you,” she jabs her finger at Loki, “you can bet your ass he’ll be in the room,  _ your Majesty _ .”

“They trust you,” says Thor.

“Everyone trusts Heimdall.”

“They like you.” 

“Everyone likes Heimdall.”

“They love you.”

“Everyone loves Heimdall.”

Heimdall himself looks like he is torn between wanting to laugh, cry, and slap the children in the room across the side of the head with the broad side of Hofund-oh.

“Yes,” Loki says, just barely managing to not roll his eyes, “Heimdall also has Hofund and can help us escape if needed while you cannot.”

She does not flinch at the slap in the face. She does not flinch in the face of truth. She is the last Valkyrie and she will not flinch. She should be strong, she has to be strong though she does not want to be strong. Not like this. Never like this.

“You’re leaving me behind,” she plays the woman card, “you’re leaving me behind to take care of this home while you go out and play the hero.”

Thor slowly shakes his head, eye clear in his determination - Thor does not know the Mad Titan. She knows Thor does not.

“No,” Thor says, “there is no better choice, you are the only one who knows how to survive out there, any one of us would lead them to their deaths.”

“You’re all going to die,” she says flatly though she cannot quite hide the shudder of grief barely covered by the passage of time.  _ You’re all going to die and leave me behind. Ag- _

Loki’s eyes go truly cold in a way she has never seen before, let alone directed at her, and she knows, she knows he sees so clearly and it’s always the deftest, cruelest, clearest cuts that hurt the most.

His lips curl.

“You’ve done it before,” he hisses and she is stunned into momentary silence, feels the sensation drain from her fingers, hears only her heartbeat in her ears and feels only a stab straight through her heart though no one is touching her. He-

“Brother.”

“You have,” Loki says, shrugging off Thor’s arm, “you have,  _ last Valkyrie _ . You can do it again.”

“I hate you,” she growls when the world comes crashing back down to her, how dare he, how dare he dig his fingers into the stitches of her wound and rip it to shreds with his bare hands, how dare he do this to  _ her _ , “I hate you, I hate you, I hate you and I hope I never see you again-”

“Good,” Loki snaps as he shoves her bodily out the room, “now go save our people.”

* * *

She does.


End file.
